Two Iconic ( and all we have ) kits with terrible chassis

[gtx6970]

On 5/26/2018 at 11:39 AM, Greg Myers said:

So what I'm seeing here is the acceptance of  a sub par "Promo" style chassis , and yet on so many other threads, members bemoan the fact that one thing or another is wrong and the ki should be reengineered. 

And this on two very iconic cars, yet we continually get remakes of so many other popular cars with more modern kits with multiple part chassis.

I get the feeling that in our old age so many of us are getting lazy in our build styles. Good enough at ten feet, no one will see the bottom.

And yet on another thread members are bemoaning the fact that pictures are so often being taking at an "Unrealistic" view from above.

Oh, and let's not forget, " A good modeler can throw down the price of  another kit" to remedy the situation, with kit prices already hovering at $30 !

IMO its not so much as accepting sub-par, its about living / dealing with the cards one is dealt.  If that happens  to be sub-par chassis as you mentioned. then so be it. If the subject is something I like ( neither of these mentioned are )  I will deal with the kit the best I can and move on.

I don't do contests, so I build for me and me alone. ( apparently I'm not the only one )  So a super detailed chassis means nothing  at least not to me. ..in most cases anyway .

Look around the hobby at any show. its not like  there is a huge influx of new blood to push the hobby to the next level.  So we all have to deal with the kits we have at the level they are or we wish to take them to .

[Can-Con]

1 hour ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

I'm confused, you stated there hasn't been a full size Pontiac since 1970, then you also acknowledged the 61 and 62 new tools. And don't forget the Trumpeteer 60.

Donor chassis for any 62 - 70s could also be the new tool Impalas, of which there are many!

Always remember, GM was king of "badge engineering", and underneath the skin, a lot of their cousins shared components. Especially chassis frames.

So if you DO want to improve those cars, you do have choices.

The fact that there have been new full size Pontiacs kitted at all, means we shouldn't give up hope.

I'd personally like to see the 67 - 69s again. 

 

I think what he's saying is the new tool '61 and '62 are Catalinas and /or Venturas which were built on a shorter chassis than the Bonnevilles.

The Chevys did not share thier chassis with the American full size Pontiacs. The Canadian full sized ones [Parisienne] did but that's as they say, another story.

and the Trumpeter Bonneville also used a different chassis. 

Also the kind of "shared components" swapping you mention didn't really start with the full size cars until the '71 on cars. Before that, in the 60s and '50s they only shared small stuff and each mark had thier own unique engines and chassis. 

 

So, yea, there are no direct swap chassis for the full size '60s Bonnevilles.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

I'm confused, you stated there hasn't been a full size Pontiac since 1970, then you also acknowledged the 61 and 62 new tools. And don't forget the Trumpeteer 60.

Donor chassis for any 62 - 70s could also be the new tool Impalas, of which there are many!

Always remember, GM was king of "badge engineering", and underneath the skin, a lot of their cousins shared components. Especially chassis frames.

So if you DO want to improve those cars, you do have choices.

The fact that there have been new full size Pontiacs kitted at all, means we shouldn't give up hope.

I'd personally like to see the 67 - 69s again. 

 

The AMT '62 Catalina & the Moebius '61 kits were both built on the shorter 119" & 120" Catalina wheel base versus the 123" wheel base for the Bonnevilles.

That was what I meant when I was talking about "Full Sized".

Granted, they could be stretched to fit a Bonneville, if you want to go through that process.

I had forgotten about the Trumpeter kit, and that would work fine for early "X" framed '59-'60 Bonnevilles, but the Impalas that you mentioned, '64-'67 are also shorter wheelbases than the Bonnevilles.

 

Steve